Means for unloading gravel.



PA-TENTED MAY 15, 1906.

C. H. WILLIAMSON. MEANS FOR UNLOADING GRAVEL.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 13, 1905.

Suvenl'oz PATENTED MAY 15 C. H. WILLIAMSON. MEANS FOR UNLOADING GRAVBL.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.13, 1905.

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9/92 [Memes CHARLEY H. WILLIAMSON, OF BLISSFIELD, OHIO.

MEANS FOR UNLQADING GRAVEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1906.

Application filed October 13. 1905. Serial No. 282,636.

To all whom it ncay concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLEY H. WILLIAM- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blissfield, in the county of Ooshocton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Unloading Gravel, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved unloading device for cars, especially adaptable for gravel-cars, and designed to provide improved automatic means wherebythe discharge of the gravel may be regulated, so that the gravel may be deposited either between the tracks or outside the same.

The invention consists, essentially, of a gravel-car provided on its bottom with a tilting section closing the discharge-opening and also provided with two adjustable plows, the parts being so arranged that the tilting section will be unlocked and tilted to allow the gravel to discharge from the car, while at the same time the plows may be adjusted to cause the gravel to be deposited either between the tracks or outside the tracks.

More specifically, the invention consists of a normally locked tilting section in the bottom of the car, a plunder or locking device designed to be drawn into engagement with thetilting section to both unlock and tilt the same, and two adjustable plows mounted side by side to move with the plunger for the purpose of scraping the gravel in a direction between the tracks or outside of the tracks, said plows being provided with means whereby their angular forward ends may be adjusted toward or away from each other, so as to produce a scraper that will deflect the gravel either toward the middle of the track between the rails or outside the latter.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating two flat cars provided with the improved unloading mechanism of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the cars and through the unloading mechanism. Fig. 3 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the door-unlocking plunger and scraping-plows. Fig. 4 is a bottom perspective of the tilting section of the carbottom designed for actuation by the plunger illustrated in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view illustrating the action of the plunger with respect to the tilting section.

In the bottom 1 of the car is mounted a tilting section 2, which is journaled, preferably, on a rod 3, to swing about its longitudinal axis and which is designed to close the bottom discharge-opening 4 of the car. The bottom or floor of the car is provided on its outer side with a keeper 5, with which a latch 6 is designed to be interlocked, and said latch is mounted on the tilting section 2 and is connected by a rod 7 to one end of a lever 8. The lever 8 is fulcrumed at 8" on the bottom of the tilting'section 2 and is guided thereon by a slot-and-pin connection 8 and has one end projecting in front of a curved recess 9. In the recess 9 is mounted a roller 10, as best shown in Fig. 4. Y

For the purpose of automatically unlocking the tilting section 2 and swinging it around to an open vertical position I have provided a plunger or unlocking device 11, which is provided with a cam-surface 12 at its front end and is drawn forwardly by means of a cable 13, actuated, preferably, by the engine, whereby it-may be drawn forwardly. In the forward movement of the lunger or unlocking device 11 its cam-sun.

face or nose first comes into contact with the lever 8 and rocks the latter, thereby drawing the rod 7, carrying the latch 6, and disengaging the latter from the keeper 5, so as to unlock the tilting section 2. The continued forward movement of the plunger 11 causes its nose 12 to ride over the roller 10 and against the wall of the recess 9, which acts as a cam-surface in connection with the nose 12, and this action, as will be evident from Fig. 5, will cause the said section 2 to tilt to an open position and allow the load of gravel to partly discharge through the opening 4.

To provide for the distribution of the gravel that remains on the floor of the car, I employ two spaced-apart adjustable plows 14, which are secured to a frame consisting of longitudinal beams 15 and cross-beams 16. The plows 14 are hinged at one rear edge, as shown at 14*, so as to swing in a horizontal plane over the floor of the car, and they are provided at their front ends with angular scraping portions 17, as shown best in Figs. 1 and 3. The two angular portions of the lows are preferably connected together by races 17 The plows 14 are connected by links 19 with a hand-lever 20, mounted on the frame and arranged to move'in a vertical plane. By the manipulation of the lever 20 the links 19 are actuated to move the plows 14 inwardly or outwardly to either the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 or the position shown in dotted lines in said view. If they are carried toward each other to the position in the full linesin said view, it is evident that as they are carried forwardly by the cable 13 they will-scrape thegravel to the outside of the track. On the other'hand,if'they are adjusted to the position shown in dotted lines they will scrape the gravel between the rails.

. frame arranged to be drawn along the bottom of the car,-and two plows hinged at opposite sides of said frame with their apeXes free from attachment to each other and arranged to belaterally adjusted, as and for the purpose set forth. 7

3. An unloading device for gravel-cars or the like comprising a frame designed'to be drawn over the bottom of the car, two spacedapart laterally-adjustable plows carried by said frame, and means for holding said plows in different lateral positions withrespect to each other, and means for drawing said frame over the bottom of a car.

4:. An unloading device for gravel-cars or the like comprising a frame, means for drawing said frame over the bottom of the car, two angular plows hinged to said frame at opposite sides thereof with their front ends free from connection with each other, and

means connected with said frame for holding said two plows in different angular positions.

5. An unloading device for gravel-cars or It is evident thatthe plunger '11 and plows are drawn forwardlysimultaneously,

the like, comprisin a frame designed to move over the bottom of the car, means for drawing said frame forwardly, two spaced-apart angular plows hinged at opposite sides of said frame at one end only, and means connected to the other end of each of'said plows for adjusting the same laterally.

6. The combination with a car provided with a tilting discharge-section, of a plunger designed to be drawn over'the bottom of the car and arranged to automatically unlock 'andtilt said section, and a scraping device operatively connected with said plunger'to move therewith, as and for thepurpose set forth. I j

7. The combination with a car h'avinga tilting bottom section of a frame designed to move over the bottom '.of' the car and provided with a scraping device, and aplunge'r carried'by said frameand 'eXtendin'gb'eyond said scraping device and arrangedto automatically unlock the said tilted section, as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination'witha car'of'the character described, embodying a tilted bottom section, of an unloading device comprising a frame, means for movingthe frame'over the bottom ofthe car, laterally-adjustable plows carried bysaid frame and saidplows being angular and means for holding said-plows in different lateral positions withrespect to the frame said means including ahand-operated lever and links connecting the same'withthe plows and meansfor automatically unlocking and tilting said section in advance ofthe movement of the plows and frame-in alinement with said section.

9. An unloading devicefor gravel-cars or the like, comprising a frame, two angular plows hingedat one end to opposite'sides of said frame, links connected to the other ends of said plows and a-rranged'to move said plows laterally with respect 'to each other, and a hand-operated lever carried by said frameand connected to said links-whereby tohold said plows in different angular positions with respect to each other.

In testimony whereof I-affiX my signature inpresenoe of two witnesses.

OHARLEY H. WILLIAMSON. [L s] Witnesses:

O. O. ERWIN, LEVI WILLIAMS. 

